Call to adopt English as language

The mayor of Helsinki has called for it to become an Englishlanguage city, in a bid to boost its economy.

Juhana Vartiainen says the notoriously difficult-to-learn Finnish language is holding back the city, which has a skills shortage.

A third of foreign students leave within a year of graduation, with language difficulties among the top reasons for their departure.

Vartiainen said: “Helsinki could call itself an Englishspeaking city, where people who speak English wouldn’t need to speak Finnish or Swedish. We need employment-based immigration.”

Finland’s official languages are Finnish and Swedish, and public sector employees have to be fluent in both.